My Travel Journal

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Transcript of My Travel Journal

photo credit Nasa / Goddard Space Flight Center / Reto StöckliMy Travel Journal Through Canada's EcozonesIntroductionOver the last few weeks I have traveled to 8 of Canada's beautiful ecozones, and I made a travel journal to share with you. It kept an account of where I stayed, what I did, and how far I traveled. I witnessed so much of Canada's natural and man made beauty and I can't wait for you to see it.July 10,2013Today I started my journey in Toronto, Ontario and flew east to Halifax, Nova Scotia. I took a direct flight on Tango flight number AC620. It was supposed to take two hours and two minutes but we got delayed an hour and a half, so I ended up getting to Halifax at around 6:30 PM. I took a cab to 1990 Barrington St., which is located downtown, and checked in . I was amazed, the Delta Halifax was so beautiful. It has been a long day of traveling so i just ordered room service and as soon as I'm done I'm going to bed.Total Km. Traveled: 1323.5kmJuly 11, 2013I woke this morning and grabbed a quick bite to eat at Tim Hortons. I then walked to St. Paul's Anglican church which is located in downtown Halifax. This church was built in 1750 and is the oldest Anglican church in North America. It was designed by James Gibbs and was based on St. Peter's Church in London. This church has been a place of worship for 250 years and is still used today.

I then joined the bus tour and headed out to Peggy's Cove. I enjoyed the beautiful rocky landscape and the famous lighthouse. The people in the small fishing town were very friendly. I then headed back to my hotel and ate at the nearby restaurant. I enjoyed lobster for the very first time.

Daily Kms travelled: 89.5 KmsTotal trip : 1415 Kms

The Altlantic Maritime Ecozone has many unique chararcteristics. It is located in the Applalachian region. There are many fresh water lakes and the largest is Lake Rossignol. There are many coves, bays sandy beaches and salt marshes. Of course the Appalachian mountains are located here. The lowlands are located around the coast.

The climate can be very unpredictable. The winters are long mild winters and summers are moderately warm. This area has more storms than anywhere else in Canada. It has high precipitation.

The major industries are fishing, mining, off shore drilling, agriculture, and tourism.

This area is densely forested. It is a mixture of hardwood and softwood trees. This includes oak, white pine, maple and red spruce. Some of the wildflowers are lily, violet, wild roses and aster.

More people live in the rural areas then in the major cities. Most people live along the coast lines. This ecozone represents 9% of Canada's population.

July 12, 2013My next adventure took me to Iqaluit, Nunavut. I flew west on Air Canada flight AC8823 to Ottawa, On. This flight took one hour and 42 minutes. Then I took a connecting flight on Canadian North flight number 5T436 and headed north to my destination. This flight took a total of one hour and 43 minutes. When I arrived I called a cab and checked in to my hotel called Discovery Lodge.

After a good rest and a bite to eat I decided to walk to the Legislative Assembly of Nunavut since it was only 7 long freezing minutes away. The building was built in 1999. When you enter the building the first thing you see is a dog sled. It contains various forms on Inuit art. There are many paintings, needlepoint and soapstone carvings throughout the building. The legislative seats are covered in sealskin. Above the legislative is a wooden round ceiling. I couldn't believe how beautiful it was.

Daily Kms travelled: 3020.3 KmsTotal Trip: 4453.3 KmsNorthern ArcticThere are about 15 000 people who live in the arctic. Most of them being Inuit. There are four official languages of the Northern Arctic . The first two are Inuit (Inukitut, Inuinnaqtun), English and French. Most of the people survive by hunting, fishing and trapping. Tourism is another way people find jobs .

The climate is the coldest and driest in Canada. Winter nights can last for months. Precipitation is very low and this ecozone is called the Arctic Desert. July and August are the only months that the ground isn't covered in snow. The summers are short with temperatures around 10 degrees C.

The landscape is flat with slightly rolling terrain. There are many deep valleys and fjords as well as rivers and lakes. The ground is permanently frozen but towards the south it thaws in the summer. Glaciers and sheets of ice are found in this ecozone.

There are few plants and no trees. The plants are small and have a short growing season. Some plants include the arctic poppy, arctic willow, moss, and pygmy buttercup.

The Northern Arctic doesn't have any reptiles or amphibians. The polar bear, arctic wolf, caribou, musk-ox, snowshoe hare, walrus and seals are some of the animals living in these harsh conditions. Birds also migrate to this area to breed in the spring then leave in the fall. Some include arctic loon, snowy owl and Canada goose.

July 14, 2013I arrived in Churchill, Manitoba early this morning. The ecozone that I have now entered is the Hudson Plains. I called a cab to take me to the Tundra Inn hotel. I had a long sleep and finally woke around noon that day. I had lunch and then headed to Eskimo Museum. It was only 7 minutes away and decided to walk there. I couldn't believe the black flies. As soon as I stepped out, they attacked me. I ran to the museum.

The museum was opened in 1944 by the Roman Catholic missionaries. They wanted to preserve the Inuit culture. It has the oldest collection of artifacts and sculptures in Canada. I was amazed by the entire collection.

Daily Kms Travelled: 1506.94 KmsTotal trip: 5961.24 KmsAHudson Plains EcozoneThe landscape is very flat and has poor drainage. Due to the poor drainage it created wetlands, bogs, and swampy plains.

The winters are moderately long and cold. The temperature is around minus eighteen. The summers are short and cool with temperatures around eleven degrees Celsius. The precipitation ranges from 400mm in the north to 800mm in the south .

There are no trees in the north. This area has short shrubs and bushes like the tundra. This includes mosses, blueberries, etc. As it goes south more trees grow and it becomes denser. Some of the trees include spruce, balsam, birch and willow.

Many birds migrate to this area to breed. This includes the tundra swan, killdeer, owls, and hawks. This area is known for the millions of biting insects like black flies. They feed off of animals such as the caribou, deer, moose, black bear, grizzly bear, polar bear, otter and snowshoe hare. There are 3 types of frogs that live here. They are the striped chorus frog, northern leopared frog and the wood frog.

Tourism , hunting and trapping are the main economy.

July 15, 2013I decided it was time to leave and head to a warmer climate. I decided it was time to visit Calgary, Alberta. This is in the Prairie Ecozone. I first had to fly Calm Air on flight number 515 and head southwest to Edmonton. This took one hour and 15 minutes. I then took the Greyhound bus from Edmonton to Calgary and headed southwest. This was a longer commute. It took three hours and 20 minutes. I decided to stay at the Ramada Calgary.

I then went to see the Calgary Tower. It is located downtown Calgary. It stands 191m above the city. It has a 360 degree view of the city, Rocky Mountains, foothills and the prairies. There is a glass floor so you can look down at the city. That was intense. I then dined in the rotating restaurant. It was delicious.

The climate is extreme because it is not near the ocean . The winters are long and cold, while the summers are warm. It is dry because the mountains block the rain that would fall here. There is also high winds.

There are some trees that grow. Both coniferous and deciduous trees grow like spruce, fir and birch. Most of the vegetation is grasses. Most of the land has been converted to farmland.

The animals that live here are black bear, moose, elk, bison, rodents. There are many species of birds like hawks, owls, sparrows, and geese.

Most of the people live in the urban areas.About 80% of the population live in the cities.

The major industry for this ecozone is agriculture, as well as oil, gas, and mining.July 16, 2013The next place I wanted to visit was Whitehorse, Yukon. This is in the Boreal Cordillera. I traveled northwest on Tango flight number AC209. This flight took 5 hours and 42 minutes. I stayed at the SKKY hotel.

I really wanted to see the Miles Canyon. I took a cab from my hotel. Miles Canyon was named after General Nelson Miles in 1883. A suspension bridge was built in 1922. There are many trails to take that follow the Yukon river. From these trails, I was able to see the Yukon rapids and hear the roar of the water. There was many different wildlife as well as I was able to see the cliffs.It was a good, long walk.

This ecozone has long cold winters and short cool summers. This is a very dry zone because the mountains block much of the rainfall.

Trees grow in the lowlands which is mostly coniferous trees. Above the treeline there are shrubs and mosses.

The animals that are found here are moose, caribou, sheep, goats, grizzly and black bears, wolf, fox, owls, hawks, and a variety of other birds. The only amphibian here is the wood frog.

This ecozone relies on hunting, trapping, mining and tourism for its economy.

About 70% of the population live in Whitehorse. The rest of the area is sparsely populated. Most are aboriginal people.

July 17, 2013

I decided it was again time to hit the warmer climate and decided to visit Victoria, British Columbia. This city is found in the Pacific Maritime Ecozone. I flew southeast aboard Air Canada flight number AC288. It took 4hours and 24 minutes.

After I gathered my luggage I went to the Oak Bay Beach Hotel. It was beautiful. I was very excited to visit the Craigdarroch Castle. I took a cab and went to see this beautiful castle. The castle was built for Robert Dunsmuir and was completed in 1890. It has 4 floors with lavish Victorian furnishings and decor, beautiful stain glass and detailed wood carvings. It is on over 28 acres.

Daily kms traveled: 1574.05kmsTotal trip: 10819.57kms.Pacific Maritime EcozoneThe landscape of this ecozone is mountainous with fjords and channels along the coast. Glaciers are found at higher elevations.

This area has the wettest weather in Canada. This is due to the mountains preventing rain to travel further inland. Precipitation ranges from 600 - 2000mm. The winters are mild and the summers are cool.

The largest and oldest trees are in this ecozone. The higher in altitude the smaller the trees. Some of the species include Douglas fir, western red oak, and white pine. Other plants are ferns, and red huckleberry.

The wildlife is diverse and includes elk, moose, mountain goats, mountain lions, grizzly and black bears, fur seal and the sea lion to name a few. There are many types of birds including eagles, owls, puffins, quail and many more. Amphibians thrive here. There are many types of frogs, snakes, turtles and salamanders.

Forestry is the main industry. This includes logging and pulp and paper. Other areas are fishing, agriculture, tourism and recreation.

This ecozone has been stressed by the population growth. Over 2.5 million people live here. Most people live in the Georgia Basin. The population has grown a lot over the last few decades.July 18, 2013Since I was so close by I thought I would take a tour of the Pacific Marine. I took a boat tour and ventured out in the Pacific Ocean.

The temperature of the ocean varies little. This is because this ecozone is protected by the Alaskan peninsula. It stops the cold Arctic waters from entering this area. Ice rarely forms and if it does it forms in the north during winter months.

The rivers and fjords of western BC bring nutrients to the water. The Pacific Ring of Fire is found in this region which also supplies nutrients.

Vegetation consists of coral, reefs, and various seaweed.

There are many different species of invertebrates. Mammals include orca whales, dolphins, blue whales, and many varieties of fish. This includes herring lamprey and salmon.

This area provides fishing, shipping, water recreation and tourism. This ecosystem has been damaged by overfishing, pollution and distruction of the habitat.

Daily kms traveled: 8kmTotal trip: 10827.57kmJuly 19, 2013It was time to head back to Ontario. I really wanted to visit Niagara Falls before I went back home. I decided I would take a ferry back to the main land. It would take 1 hour and 35 minutes to cross the harbour in the BC Ferries. I would travel northeast. Once I reached Vancouver I decided to take the Via train and head east. This took 3 days and 11 hours. Once I reached Toronto I rented a car at Budget and drove to Niagara Falls. I took the Gardnier Expressway west to the QEW west and merged onto highway 403 east. I was glad there wasn't any traffic and it only took my 1 hour and 20 minutes. I stayed at the Fallsview Inn.

I went to visit the largest escarpment in Canada Niagara Falls. The power of the water was amazing and could hardly hear anything due to the roar of the falls. I then went to Clifton Hill. I visited so many museums and of course Ripley's Believe it or Not.

Daily kms traveled: 4634.39kmsTotal trip: 15461.96kms Mixed Wood PlainsThis area has plains and gentle rolling hills. The major waterways are the St. Lawrence River, Lake Ontario, Lake Erie and Lake Huron. It also contains the largest escarpment which is Niagara Falls.

The winters are short and cool with long mild summers. The precipitation ranges from 700 - 1000mm per year.

The vegetation consists of coniferous and deciduous trees. This includes white pine, black spruce and oak trees. Other plants include the downy serviceberry.

Many animals live in this ecozone. This includes racoons, bobcats,deer, black bear and squirrels. There is a wide variety of birds including hawks, sparrows, hummingbirds, bluejays, ducks and geese. Many types of frogs, toads, snakes and fish are found here.

Approximately half of Canadas population lives in this ecozone. The large cities are densely populated.

The economy relies on manufacturing, agriculture, recreations and tourism.